This invention relates to a flexible-usage travel suite that has application in a wide range of environments. The invention is not limited to any particular mode of usage, but usage within aircraft, vessels, and land vehicles is the environment within which the invention is described. The invention is more particularly described by way of illustration as a travel suite appropriate for use in premium class, long haul, international air carriers.
Long haul international air carriers typically provide three classes of service for passengers—coach class, which accommodates the large majority of passengers at a relatively low fare and with minimal amenities; business class, which accommodates a relatively smaller number of higher fare-paying passengers with more amenities; and premium class, which accommodates relatively few passengers at relatively high fares with luxurious amenities, including premium food and beverages, large accommodation seating areas and the like. With the advent of larger long haul aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus 380, more space is available for accommodating the travel preferences of premium class passengers who can afford to pay higher fares for more space, privacy and a more efficient work area.
Prior art long haul premium accommodations typically include a relatively large seat that moves through a wide range of motion between full upright position for take-off and landing and dining, a partial recline relaxation position, and full recline position in which the seat back, seat bottom and footrest extend into a generally lie-flat, recumbent configuration to form a bed, most often with a head end slightly raised above the foot end. In some instances, an ottoman that does not form a connected part of the seat abuts the seat in the lie flat configuration to extend the length of the bed. These seating units have in common the use of the same elements for different purposes—for example, the use of the same structure for both a seat and a bed, as described above. Designing seating components in this fashion inherently requires design compromises. For example, the requirement for a seat to have a back, bottom and leg rest that move relative to each other inherently requires numerous motors and linkage elements that cause increased weight, expense and complexity, as well as laterally-extending creases between the cushions that cause the bed surface to be not truly flat. In addition, the g-loading requirements for seats require relatively hard foam cushioning that is uncomfortably hard when used as a bedding surface.